The Price He Paid
by Lady Braus
Summary: For years, he tormented her all because she was not like them. For years, he was her bully. Now, the one whose life he made a living hell is now the one he wants as his mate. All he can do is hope that she accepts him. How can she if he did not accept her in the first place? ItaHana AU
1. Where he was that night

**Has it ever cross anyone's mind as to why Hana has round eyes while her mother and brother has sharp eyes? I always wonder about it and, because of that, her eyes inspired me to write this story.  
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**In this story, there are only wolves and humans. Don't expect vampires or demons.  
**

**I do not own Naruto.**

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Deep within the forest, under the moonlit sky, a celebration was being held. Everyone wore black without any color to mimic the night sky. Music was heard in the background as children danced and played around while the adults chatted about their daily lives. Everyone were enjoying themselves on what the night has to offer.

A group of friends stood by and watched as the guests were having a good time. Each one had a drink in their hands and occasionally would take a sip. Sometimes their gaze would go over to a group of girls that were busy talking to one another. Judging by the look in their eyes, they were filled with hunger, obsession and lust.

For the blond haired young man, he watched the violet haired girl who was staring at the ground. The second she looked up their eyes met and immediately looked away leaving the young girl's face red. He smirked at her reaction and turned to one of his friend.

"I just want to go over there and claim her right away. Why does your cousin have to be hot, Neji?"

"Please do not talk about Hinata in my presence, Naruto. Unlike you, at least I can control myself."

"I doubt it since Tenten is right over there wearing that outfit."

Neji growled out at the mentioning of her name. Naruto chuckled at his reaction.

"Relax. I don't want her. I just want your cousin."

"Watch it, Naruto."

Naruto put up the peace sign with his fingers at Neji.

"This is a drag. Why does it have to be in the forest instead at your place? Your father must have invited everyone, Sasuke."

"That's because it is my brother's birthday, Shikamaru. He wanted to make it special for Itachi."

"I know that. Thank goodness he is not my father."

Shikamaru then focused his attention to the two blonds and sighed.

_'Troublesome girls. Why do I find the both of you attractive? Now I have to choose between the both of you.'_

"Whatever. I could care less about him and my brother."

"Don't be mad because your brother is going to take over the Uchiha clan, Sasuke."

He glared at Naruto and was trying his best to not give him a beating. Instead, Sasuke drank the bottle in his hand.

All of a sudden, the music stopped playing and everyone became silent. At the sight of his father, they all bowed in unison and greeted him with the exception of his son, Sasuke. He was the only one that did not bow.

Entering the celebration, Uchiha Fugaku made his way towards the campfire that was at the center of the group. Once there, he glanced around and was pleased by the number that have showed up tonight. Fugaku then told them all to rise. The guests followed his command.

"Welcome, everyone. Tonight is my son Itachi's twenty-third year in this world. Let us celebrate this night to the fullest. Please welcome my son."

Everyone cheered for the guest of honor and continued until the look of concern appeared on their faces. Fugaku noticed and looked around for any sight of Itachi.

"Where is Itachi?"

Fugaku watched them as they talked amongst themselves. One of the guests walked up and spoke to him in a whisper. Eyes glowing red as to where is his son, Fugaku yelled out his son's name in anger.

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"Thank you for shopping. Have a nice night."

The cashier thanked the customer and in turn bid farewell to the employee. Exiting the store, the woman walked down the sidewalk with a bag full of groceries in her arms. As she made her way home, the woman greeted anyone that crossed her path. After walking the few blocks, she came upon a building. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her keys and unlocked the front door. It closed behind her once the woman went inside the building.

Across the street from the building were three friends inside a car. Each of them watched the woman enter through the front door. The one in the passenger seat was pleased by her arrival and turned to the driver.

"It's about time she arrived home. Can we leave now, Itachi?"

Keeping his gaze at the building, Itachi answered to his friend.

"Wait until the lights in her room are on, Sasori. We can leave until then."

"We should not be here, Itachi. Your father would have an uproar if he finds out about this."

Itachi turned to look at his friend sitting in the back seat. Part of his blond hair covered his eye and the rest was up in a ponytail. Just like their friend, he was anxious to leave.

"My father have no business in my affairs, Deidara. What I am doing is of no concern to him."

Deidara leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"It is to me, yeah."

Sasori tried to cheer up his friend. He laughed at Deidara seeing him act like a child.

"Can't you see? Itachi is in love with the half-"

Itachi's eyes flashed red at him. Sasori sank back in his seat and kept his mouth shut. He was suddenly afraid to even look at Itachi.

"Don't you dare say those words, Sasori. As long as I'm around, you are forbidden to say those words in front of me."

He quickly nodded at Itachi understanding his words.

Itachi returned his attention back at the building. Suddenly, he saw the lights at an apartment turn on signaling him that she made it inside her place. True to his word, he turned on the ignition letting the engine come alive. He gave one final look at the building.

"What happened, Itachi? You used to make her life a living hell. We all did. What changed all of a sudden?"

Putting the car into drive, Itachi drove away but not until he answered his question.

"Everything, Deidara."

As the car disappeared around the corner, the woman was at the window looking behind the curtain. If anyone was there to see her face, then all they would see were hatred and rage. However, her eyes tell a different story.

They held the look of sorrow, despair, but the most important one of them all in her eyes was fear.


	2. The Truth Behind The Woman

**I'm back again. Last month sucked but getting new faves and followers from my other stories made me happy, especially this one. I love it.  
**

**Enjoy.**

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Humans and wolves lived side by side for many decades. They have even interacted with one another and have thrived peacefully. Yet, wolves were very traditional and stuck to their own kind. Although they appear as the other humans, their true appearance is their animal form. They did this to keep their race pure and have no tolerance for any wolf to have relations with a human. When that happens, any product was immediately taboo.

That taboo came in the form of twenty-three year old Inuzuka Hana.

Seeing them across the street brought back memories. Hana had never enjoyed happiness. She had never received peace. Good things never came to her. It was always bad. It was all because of her wolf mother and human father.

In other words, she was a hybrid.

If only her mother mated with a wolf male then she would have been treated fairly like the other wolves, but she did not blame her mother for it. It was not her fault she fell in love with a human male. It was not her fault that Hana was born different.

Hana was the only one in her clan who did not have wild hair and sharp eyes. She was more innocent and was not as loud like her clan. Even though she was mixed, Hana behaved more human than wolf. It was also some of the reasons as to why she was treated harshly from the other wolves.

As far as Hana remembered, there were the hateful glances coming from the adults that would bore into her mind. There were even the sneers and some would not hold back when they curse in front of her. She was too young to understand what those words mean and would look at her mother for answers. All she received from her were pitiful looks.

She would soon experience more once she started school but in the form of children. The second she told them her name was the second the teasing began for Hana. They refuse to play with her and would constantly pick fights. She would always seek help from the teacher but was always ignored. The teacher told Hana to deal with it for it was her problem.

It was like that until she made it in the third grade. There, her nightmare would grow more severe in the form of a young boy with black hair and onyx eyes. He would later become her main tormentor all the way into high school.

She shook her head at the memory of him and headed towards the bathroom to take a shower. As the hot water pelted her cold skin, Hana sat down in the tub, hugged her legs, and closed her eyes.

Her tears mixed in with the water.

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_'She's crying. Your female is crying.'_

_'Coward.'_

_'She needs you, Itachi.'_

_'Coward.'_

_'Go to her.'_

_'Turn the car around, you coward!'_

Itachi ignored his inner thoughts and maintained his attention on the road in front of him. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. All he wanted to do was to go back, kick the door down and comfort Hana telling her that he was sorry. His need to be with her was very high and would calm him down if Itachi listened to the voices inside his head. Itachi kept driving.

_'You are definitely a coward.'_

Itachi could not do it. He could not after all of the things he and his friends have done to her, but Itachi the most of them all. He was a monster in her eyes. Itachi regretted hurting Hana and did not deserve any mistreatment he gave to her. After fifteen years, he did not expect Hana to forgive him.

Hana...just that name alone made his heart flutter. Just thinking about her made him warm throughout his body. It never crossed his mind that she could do this to him. Out of all the females in the world, a half-bitch won his heart.

A half-bitch is a female whose parents consist of one wolf and one human. If it were a male, then he was known as a half-bastard. Children that were labeled as such were immediately outcasts the moment he or she was born. They were shown as a disgrace among the other wolves. They were treated unfairly and did not received any respect from the other wolves. They were constantly reminded of their birth every single day and that was Itachi did to her.

He was cruel to her when they were young. In school, he would pull on her hair, knock her books off the desk, take her lunch and throw it in the garbage. Whenever it rained, he would hide her umbrella and smirked that she had to go home in the wet weather. He had taken great joy to see her suffer for she was beneath him. Only when they were in high school did he take it farther.

Itachi arrived at the parking lot which prevented him to think about those four years of high school. It was those years he and his friends did a lot of damage towards Hana, both mentally and emotionally. Once he parked the car, all three got out and followed the trail that leads up to the campgrounds where the celebration was taking place. Once they reached it, the first person they saw was Fugaku.

His arms were crossed across his chest. Judging by his stance, Itachi's father was waiting for him to arrive. The trio stopped several feet away from him. Fugaku demanded respect and that is what they gave him.

"We need to talk."

Hearing the tone of his voice, Sasori and Deidara moved and walked past him knowing very well he wanted to talk to his son alone. They both looked back at Itachi before heading into the site.

"Where were you, my son? You're late."

There was a hint of anger in his voice. Fugaku was not pleased that Itachi showed up now. He kept him and everybody else waiting. Fugaku did his best to remain calm but he was in a foul mood.

"I was...seeing someone."

"Is this someone more important than your own birthday party?"

Itachi stared at his father. He had no reason to be mad at him. He wasn't as careless like the others and was extremely mature for his age. Besides, he was not a child, but his father liked to act that he is still a child in Fugaku's eyes.

"Yes. I had to before arriving here, father."

Fugaku relaxed his stance and dropped his arms to his sides. Itachi's reasoning was enough for him to calm down.

"Fine. Go entertain them. They have been expecting you."

Without hesitation, Itachi moved from his spot and walked past his father. Fugaku closed his eyes and thought about on how his son was acting like if he despised him.

_'What will I ever do with you, Itachi?'_

He sometimes believe that Itachi would be the death of him if he keeps acting that way.

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**Now you know what Hana really is. There will be more of her parents, Kiba and their past in the next chapter and what Itachi and his friends did to her in high school and realized that Hana is his mate.  
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**Bye for now.  
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	3. His regret, his determination

Itachi sat under a tree away from the others as they continued to celebrate. He was deep in thought over what had happened when he interacted with the guests. After chatting with a few did Itachi realized that they were only interested not because it was his birthday. The only reason that they were here was because they believed that Itachi was without a mate.

Parents offering their daughters to him and women offering themselves left a bad taste in his mouth. They gave useless excuses as to why he should pick them. So what if they thought that it would be a great pairing that would lead to great children or if it would improve their status just because his clan was above theirs did not matter to him. The only thing that mattered to Itachi was his mate that only several people knew.

When he first learned that Hana was his mate, Itachi did not want to believe it. There was no way that he, a pure wolf, should be paired up with a half-bitch like her. He was taught by his father that a disgrace like her was shunned and should not be considered equal, and if anyone had her then it would bring shame not only to everyone but also to himself. Being the heir of his clan, Itachi believed his father, so on the first day of eight grade when his inner wolf told him that Hana belonged to him, Itachi did what he could do to change it by being her bully.

It brought him joy whenever he saw her afraid not knowing on what he would do to Hana, and whenever she cried it made him smile. He found it as a punishment towards Hana. He did not want her as his mate, but no matter how many times Itachi hurt her, his inner wolf kept insisting otherwise. It warned him many times, but Itachi did not pay any attention.

In high school, Itachi was offered to join a special group know as the Akatsuki whose leader was Pein. They were known to be the elite among the wolves and ruled the school making not only the other wolves and humans to fear them but also the faculty. Anyone that dared to disrespect any of them would pay severely. Few examples were set to warn everyone, but once Itachi became a member, they focus on Hana. He told them everything on what he had done to her in the past so they had taken upon themselves to make her their personal victim, and Pein declared to everyone at the school not to intervene.

Hidan spread horrible lies about her to everyone and said hurtful words that were demeaning. When she was not looking, Deidara ruined her lab projects by mixing her chemicals which resulted in an mini explosion that caused her to fail. It was the same thing in art class where he and Sasori "accidently" spilled paint on her assignments. Plus, Sasori would sneak into her locker and put laxatives in her lunch just to watch her run towards the bathroom after she ate it.

Every time it was any of their birthdays, Konan would create a pinata out of Hana's likeness and had it whacked. To make it better, Deidara would film it and later posted it on the internet for anyone to see. Also, since she was the only female, Konan physically attacked her. It was taboo for a male to hit a female, so she did all of the beatings for them until Hana was scratched up, bruised and bloodied. It caused her to miss school anywhere from a few days to about a month, but that did not allow Hana to be free from them so they sent Zetsu to stalk and creep her out.

Kisame would wait outside the gym until she appeared in her clothes all cut up and torn. All he had to do was to pull out the knife from his pocket and waived it at Hana when she looked at him. Tobi was, well, Tobi. He would try to help saying that he was a good boy only to make it worse for Hana. One time, he brought her a shirt to replace the shredded one with the words "I'm Stupid" printed on it, and she had no choice but to wear it.

Kakuzu was the only one who did not care about what happens to her for he was interested in making money. He did not participated in any of the group's harassment nor did he bother telling all of them to stop. It was not worth his time, but he did laugh at her misfortunes.

Throughout it all, Itachi stood by and watched as his friends tormented Hana, and every time she saw him staring at her, there would be a smirk. Itachi showed her that he was the cause of it in order to remind Hana of her place. All of that changed during the night after graduation when Hana finally snapped.

Since that night, Itachi wanted to make up every pain he had done to Hana. He wanted her to see that he changed for the better. To prove it, he ordered his friends not to make fun of her anymore and to stay away from Hana throughout the summer. When fall came, Itachi expected to see her at college. He hoped that Hana would accept his apology and let bygones be bygones.

She never showed up at the college, nor did he see Hana anywhere in Konoha. That left him in a worry state of mind. The more he worried for Hana, the more Itachi yearned for Hana. He craved to see her. He did not know where she is as if she had vanished without a trace.

It would be another two years when Deidara sent Itachi a photo of her in Otogakure inside a restaurant with a man did he finally accepted Hana as his mate. He did not like seeing her with another male and grew jealous at the thought of them together. That imaged haunted his dreams when he slept.

Three years have passed, and now that Hana was back inside Konoha, he was determined to claim her to himself. He would do whatever it takes to get Hana to accept him. He would protect her, worship her, and love her every single night and day until his dying breath.

If he wanted all of that to happen, then Itachi had to do the one thing he had never done so before, and that was to befriend Hana.

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**I hope that you like the chapter. I know it short but I always keep my chapters like that. Less is more. There's so much to cover about this story. They will get together, but as the title of this story, Itachi has to pay a price in order to be with Hana. Or two. Or three.**

**Next chapter will be about Hana, her brother, and their parents. In a future chapter, you'll find out why Hana snapped when she and Konan meet again.  
**

**Until next time. :)**


	4. A Brother's Visit

His motorcycle roared loudly as he weaved in and out through the streets. Wearing his leather jacket, black jeans and boots, seventeen year old Inuzuka Kiba did not care if he was speeding over the limit. In fact, Kiba loved the rush as he rode towards his destination. He felt more wilder that he was whenever Kiba was in wolf form. Only when he saw the apartment building did Kiba slowed down his ride.

Parking at an empty spot, Kiba shut off his motorcycle and removed his helmet. Shaking his head a few times, he got off and made his way towards the entrance. Looking for the number on the wall, Kiba pressed the button next to the number and waited for Hana to let him inside the building. Once he heard a buzz did he pushed the door and went up the three flights to apartment number three zero four. There waiting at the door was Hana with a smile on her face.

Kiba was no fool. The smile that she gave him was a fake. He knew that she was not happy. Behind those smiles, Hana was suffering. No matter how many times he had tried to make her happy, it would always be that smile without any feeling.

Kiba witnessed the torment his older sister was given. He had seen the damage on what it did to her. Many times he would hear Hana cry inside her bedroom before falling asleep. Many times she was afraid to leave the house. Kiba felt bad that his sister had to go through all of that while he was spared. He wished that their mother would have turned their father so that Hana was born a pure wolf like him, but she only did that right after his sister was born.

Tsume was only seventeen when she met the man who would become her mate. She found him smoking outside of a bar one night as she was on her way home from watching a movie. In her eyes, he was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome with his dark brown locks, six feet one and the looks that could make any woman melt in front of him. When he glanced over to where she was standing, Tsume gasped when she felt her inner wolf. She then realized that he was her mate.

She was surprised to learn that her mate was human. With his looks, he could have passed as a wolf. Tsume had always thought that her mate would be a wolf like her. The thought of having a human was rare but not uncommon. Since the others do not like the idea, they all agreed that any human destined to be paired up with a wolf must go through the turning.

It was a painful process. Once they are scratched, they are then left alone in the woods where they go through physical changes. Their screams filled the air as their bones cracked, blood altered and their bodies shifted. He or she must endure it until they appeared out to the others in their wolf form. Only through that was when they can finally be with their mate and accepted into the family.

There were a few incidents where Tsume remembered when they became mentally unstable or could not be controlled and, because of that, they had to be killed after the turning. It also caused their mates to go into a deep depression to the point where they later take their own lives. They could not bear to live without them, and fearing that it might happen to her, Tsume decided to not let him go through it even if it means getting into trouble.

They learned about each other that night. He was training to become a police officer while she was enjoying the fact that she graduated from high school a couple of weeks ago. As they hanged out, one thing led to another and they wound up at his apartment. She was careful not to mark him as they did the deed. A few weeks later, on the day before her eighteenth birthday, Tsume found out that she was with child. She knew the ramifications for carrying a half-breed so she did her best to protect both him and their unborn child.

That was the story Kiba was told from his mother when he wanted to know why everyone was making fun of Hana. Due to being a child, he could not do anything to stop the insults towards Hana. After she left Konoha, Kiba vowed to become stronger for his sister and showed her what kind of a brother he became while she was gone.

Kiba approached his sister and gave her a hug. She relaxed in his arms before pulling away to speak to her brother.

"I'm glad that you are here, Kiba."

"No problem, sis. I'm just a phone call away if you need to see me. So, what did you wanted to talk to me about, Hana?"

As Hana opened her mouth to speak, Kiba's cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to see who was contacting him and sighed.

"I have to go, Hana. Naruto sent me a message about a meeting at the campgrounds. As much as I want to stay and chat, I can't ignore it."

"I understand, Kiba. I'll see you and mother tomorrow. Be safe."

"You, as well. Good night, sis."

Leaving a kiss on her cheek, Hana went inside her apartment and closed the door. Kiba went back down the stairs and outside to where his motorcycle waited for him. Putting on his helmet and turning on his ride, Kiba drove towards the campgrounds.

The thought of seeing him left a sickening feeling inside of Kiba's stomach and he can not help but to think that something unexpected was to happen once he gets there, and that something included his older sister.


	5. Of Mates And Problems

Midnight came. Most of the guests left with the exception of Itachi and his friends. He told them that there would be a meeting once the party ended. They stood behind while the guests bid their farewells and waited for Kiba to arrive. They did not know why Itachi was having a meeting until he gets there. There were those who were not there like the rest of Itachi's friends from high school, Temari's brothers who were at Suna, and a few who were human. The humans were not allowed for the meeting was only for the wolves.

Itachi watched as each person was with their respected mates. Hinata was sitting next to Naruto with Neji and Tenten near her side, but that was only because Neji wanted to make sure Naruto doesn't do anything perverted towards Hinata. With Naruto next to her, Hinata kept her head down without anyone seeing the blush that remained on her face.

Sasori and Deidara were standing next to a tree, and seeing on how their hands were entwined, it was no surprise to him that they were together. However, he did worry over them because they were mated to each other.

To have a mate of the same sex were equivalent to hybrids. It was disgusting and wrong. Unlike hybrids, they were preventing the continuation of the wolf race in the others' eyes. Some of them kept to themselves, but Sasori and Deidara express it out in the open for anyone to see. They did not care what anyone think about them, and that made Itachi feel guilty about not having a relationship like that with Hana with her being a half-breed.

Shikamaru was sitting in between Ino and Temari with a bored expression on his face. Itachi knew of his situation of choosing between two possible mates. It was rare for any wolf to happen to them. Most of the time it was always with one. With Shikamaru, it was hard to choose since he found it, in his words, a drag. Itachi was no matchmaker, but between the two girls, Temari would be perfect for Shikamaru. In the end, it was up to Shikamaru to decide.

As for Sasuke, he was not there. He did not want to hear on what his brother had to say so he ran deep inside the forest in his wolf form. His clothes were neatly folded next to Itachi. That made the males shielded their mates from seeing him undress with the exception of Shikamaru who told Ino and Temari to close their eyes.

The sound of an engine alerted them, and they all knew that Kiba arrived at the site. They heard his steps inching closer until he appeared. Kiba had his hands in his pockets and stared straight at the one person he despised. Upon entering, Kiba made eye contact with Itachi. He glared at the Uchiha before sitting down next to Naruto.

He never liked Itachi for what he had done to Hana and blamed him for making her leave Konoha. Those five years he needed his sister. Only getting phone calls and letters from Hana was not enough for Kiba. To him, Kiba was denied having a bond with his sister like Hinata and Temari bonded with their siblings and resented Itachi for it. It was not fair to him, and the past two months since she came home, Kiba did his best to bond with Hana.

Seeing that he was settled, Itachi began the meeting.

"As you know, I am now twenty-three. By now, I should already have a mate by my side. The truth is, I do have one, but I have kept it a secret for a long, long time."

The group were surprised that Itachi had a mate all this time. They began to ask questions as to know who it was and if they knew the person. As his eyes shifted back to Kiba, Itachi knew that he will get angry so he said her name with confidence in his voice.

"It's Hana."

"You fucking bastard!"

Kiba jumped from his seat to attack Itachi, but Naruto quickly grabbed his right wrist.

"Kiba, don't do it. Do not challenge him."

"I don't care, Naruto. I will not allow him to hurt my sister again!"

Kiba broke free from Naruto's grasp and stormed over to Itachi. There was no way that he would allow Itachi to claim Hana as his mate. Neji stood and ran up in front of Itachi to prevent them to fight.

"Get out of my way, Neji. I do not want to hurt you."

"No one here wants to see you get hurt, Kiba. If you fight him, you will lose."

"Is it because he's an Uchiha and has superiority over us? I don't give a fuck about it!"

Kiba shoved him out of the way and went face to face with Itachi.

"Fight me, Uchiha. Fight me for the right of my sister!"

"I will not fight you, Kiba."

"You will fight me, you fucking coward!"

Kiba pushed him which made Itachi stumbled back a few steps. Kiba was provoking him to fight. Pulling his left arm back, Kiba was about to punch him, but Itachi grabbed it making him drop to his knees.

"Neji is right. You will lose to me like you just did right now. Hana is my mate, and I do regret hurting her."

"Liar!"

"Do you think I am lying? The one I want is not here for she is afraid of me. The one I want hates me for what I have done to her. I am truly sorry for all of the things your sister had gone through, but believe me when I say that I will be what I should have been all of this time, and that is to be her mate."

He released Kiba and watched him get up to face him. It was silent between everyone until Kiba spoke.

"If that is the case, then I will do whatever it takes to protect her from you."

Kiba backed up and turned to leave the site. Everyone else followed suit before giving Itachi a look that was either in pity or happiness. Sasori and Deidara went the other way and walked deep inside the forest to have some time to themselves leaving Itachi by himself.

"Well, that makes two of us. My mate fears me, too, Itachi."

Sasuke appeared next to his brother and shifted back into his regular form to put on his clothes.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke."

"I'll accept your apology once I have her by my side, that is, if she accepts me."

Sasuke walked away from him. He knew what his brother meant. Like him, Sasuke's mate was not with him, but it was for a different reason that had to do on the night when Hana snapped.

He had to fix it. He can not wait anymore. It is time for Itachi to claim Hana as his mate. The sooner, the better.

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**I think we all know who Sasuke's mate is, everyone, and yes, SasoDei is one of my OTP. They are together in this story.  
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**Anyone want to take a guess what Konan did to Hana that made her snap? I'll give you one hint: Kisame's knife. Until next time.**


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